After two months of lingering tension and quiet unease, the forty-eighth year of Konoha drew close to its end.
December 27th.
For most people, it was just another ordinary day. For Ryūjin Uchiha, it was no different. Like usual, he was out on patrol with his partner, walking through the village streets with a relaxed, almost indifferent expression.
"Did you hear? Hiashi Hyuga's daughter was born!"
"Seriously? No wonder the Hyuga Clan is celebrating today."
"That's the Hyuga Clan's princess!"
The chatter spread through every street corner. The atmosphere in the village was unusually lively, filled with excitement and curiosity. Even civilians who had nothing to do with shinobi affairs were discussing it.
Ryūjin glanced around, listening without much interest.
Hyuga Hinata… lucky kid.
Even his patrol partner let out a sigh, clearly envious.
The Hyuga Clan was special. The difference between the Main House and the Branch House was like heaven and earth. Being born into the wrong side meant your life was decided from the very beginning.
Hinata, however, had been born as the daughter of Hiashi Hyuga, the clan head. Main House blood. Noble status. A life that most people could never even dream of.
"Future princess of Konoha, huh?" Ryūjin muttered under his breath.
He remembered her vaguely from what he knew of the future. She was quiet, timid, often overlooked. But in this world, she was someone you really shouldn't mess with.
Still, none of it mattered to him.
"Yeah, good for her," he said, shrugging it off as nothing more than gossip.
They continued their patrol as usual.
What no one in Konoha knew was that far beyond the village, far beyond even the planet itself, there were others watching this very moment.
…
On the moon, inside a vast and eerie castle, two elderly figures stood before a massive Tenseigan.
Through it, they observed the newborn Hyuga Hinata.
They were members of the Ōtsutsuki Clan, descendants of Ōtsutsuki Hamura.
Once, their clan had flourished. But internal conflict between the Main House and Branch House had led to a devastating war. The Main House was wiped out, and although the Branch House survived, it was left nearly extinct.
Now, only a handful remained.
Ōtsutsuki Shinichi and Ōtsutsuki Gengetsu.
Gengetsu was insignificant, a man who had simply lived long enough to still be here. Shinichi, however, was different. He had a son, Ōtsutsuki Toneri.
And Toneri needed a partner.
"That purity…" Gengetsu's voice trembled with excitement. "It's unbelievable."
"A Byakugan like this… from such a low-level bloodline?" Shinichi narrowed his eyes, clearly shaken.
To them, the Hyuga Clan was nothing more than a diluted offshoot, unworthy of comparison. Yet the child before them possessed a Byakugan of astonishing purity, something even rare among their own kind.
For years, they had been observing Earth, searching for someone suitable for Toneri. It had been little more than a hopeless task.
Until now.
"She's perfect for Toneri," Gengetsu said, his eyes gleaming.
Shinichi did not answer immediately. His expression remained cautious.
"This concerns the future of our bloodline," he said after a pause. "We will continue observing her. In two years, I will go down personally."
…
Time passed.
Seasons changed, and two years slipped by in the blink of an eye.
Konoha was still recovering from the aftermath of the Nine-Tails attack. The loss of Minato Namikaze had dealt a heavy blow, and Kumogakure had wasted no time taking advantage of the situation.
For over two years, the two villages had been locked in a drawn-out conflict.
Neither side gained the upper hand.
Both suffered.
Eventually, exhaustion forced them toward negotiation.
In the fifty-first year of Konoha, progress was finally made.
Kumogakure sent a delegation to Konoha to discuss a peace treaty.
The news spread quickly, and the village erupted in celebration. After years of war, people were desperate for peace.
Inside the Konoha Military Police Force headquarters, Fugaku Uchiha stood before his men, his expression serious.
"Tomorrow, the Kumogakure delegation will arrive. Stay alert. No one slacks off."
His voice was firm, leaving no room for carelessness.
"During their stay, we ensure their safety. This negotiation is critical. Any mistake is unacceptable."
A new duty roster was distributed.
Ryūjin glanced at his and clicked his tongue quietly.
"Five patrol rounds now… great."
His workload had nearly doubled. Even the previously unimportant areas were now under strict surveillance. Night shifts had been extended as well.
Still, no one complained.
Everyone understood what was at stake.
Elsewhere, the Hokage was doing the same.
Hiruzen Sarutobi issued strict orders to the ANBU, reinforcing security across the village. No one was naive enough to believe peace talks meant safety.
After all, history had already proven otherwise.
The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, had died during peace negotiations with Kumogakure, betrayed by the Gold and Silver Brothers.
Konoha would not make the same mistake again.
Surveillance teams had already been dispatched in secret, tracking the Kumogakure delegation long before they reached the village.
Tension and hope coexisted in Konoha.
As for Ryūjin, he wasn't buying the peaceful atmosphere.
He walked his patrol route, his mind drifting.
"If I remember right… this 'peace talk' is bullshit."
Kumogakure wasn't here just to sign papers.
They were here for Hinata.
Kidnapping her, using her Byakugan, forcing Konoha into a corner.
And in the end, Hizashi Hyuga would die to smooth things over.
"Typical," Ryūjin muttered.
The Hokage's approach was always the same, soft on the outside, ruthless on the inside.
Hizashi's death was convenience.
The next morning, the village grew busy.
By around ten, cheers erupted.
The Kumogakure delegation had arrived.
From a distance, Ryūjin spotted them being welcomed by Hiruzen Sarutobi and several Konoha ninja.
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Planned or not…"
Was the kidnapping attempt something they came prepared for, or something they decided on the spot?
Either way, it didn't quite add up.
If they were truly here for peace, attacking a major clan made no sense. That kind of move would destroy negotiations instantly.
And ninja didn't act without orders.
"Unless this whole thing is just a cover," Ryūjin thought.
Still, the team in front of him did not look capable of pulling it off.
Seven people.
Three Jonin, four Chunin.
"Yeah right," he scoffed quietly. "That lineup trying anything here is suicide."
He activated Sage Mode.
In an instant, his perception spread across Konoha.
Every chakra signature revealed itself.
Seven Kumogakure ninja. No hidden forces.
He expanded his sensing range further, beyond the village.
Still nothing.
"Guess they're actually playing nice," he muttered.
He was about to withdraw when something caught his attention.
Two chakra signatures.
Outside the village.
One large, one small.
The smaller one… was clearly a child.
But what stood out wasn't the size.
It was the chakra.
All five nature transformations.
Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, Lightning.
"Are you kidding me?"
Ryūjin's eyes narrowed slightly.
That was extremely rare.
Even more so, the adult beside the child had the same full-attribute chakra, and their chakra volume was absurd.
These two were definitely together.
"When did people like this start showing up?"
And why now, of all times?
For a moment, he considered whether they were connected to the Hinata incident.
He withdrew Sage Mode.
"Let's go," he said to his partner. "Patrol's not gonna finish itself."
He walked off as if nothing had happened.
…
Outside Konoha, the elder suddenly frowned.
"Father, what's wrong?" the child asked.
"I thought… I was being watched," the elder said slowly.
The child looked shocked. "Discovered? That's impossible."
The elder hesitated, then shook his head.
"Probably nothing."
They had just arrived. They hadn't even entered Konoha yet.
There was no way someone had detected them.
Still…
"The village security is unusually tight today."
He activated his Byakugan, observing Konoha in detail.
The child looked toward him.
"Are we still going to the Hyuga Clan?"
The elder's gaze hardened slightly.
"Of course… Toneri needs her."
===
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